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OU Mathematics – final module choice

I started this degree not long after my daughter was born, a choice between an MBA and a degree for “fun” (learning for me rather than for career reasons) and it’s strange that I’m so close to the end of it. I have one level 3 module left to take. 30 points (or a quarter of a full time degree) to fit in around work and family1. I wrote a post a couple of years ago on my choices for level 3 and looking back at it now, I’m not sure I feel the same way.

Complex numbers (M337) was far more interesting and practically useful that I thought it was going to be. While it was a little drudgey at the start, towards the end everything came together beautifully. Deterministic and stochastic dynamics (MS327) was dull, it was essential mathematics and really useful, but there was nothing to excite me. Maybe this was a product of trying to study alongside long hours at work at the time. I wish I started with M303, the pure mathematics course, and then done complex numbers and the quantum world (my favourite module so far). However, I now have a choice again and I’m finding it tricky.

What I thought would be an easy choice two years ago is now more difficult. There are aspects of the courses of optimisation, mathematical statics and graphs, networks and design that really interest me, but I worry that much of it will be covering old ground. I didn’t take this degree for an easy ride and covering things I was doing daily, but to learn new things. Even the fluid mechanics module has fascinating elements which prevent me from ruling it out completely.

I’m leaning towards electromagnetism, something to help me further understand some of the aspects of the world in which we live. Although mathematical statistics and applications of probability look they have a lot of useful parts too. I’ve got two weeks to decide. So time to do the practise quizzes for each one and see which I enjoy most!

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Dr Janet is a Molecular Biochemistry graduate from Oxford University with a doctorate in Computational Neuroscience from Sussex. I’m currently studying for a third degree in Mathematics with Open University.

During the day, and sometimes out of hours, I work as a Chief Science Officer. You can read all about that on my LinkedIn page.

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janet

Dr Janet is a Molecular Biochemistry graduate from Oxford University with a doctorate in Computational Neuroscience from Sussex. I’m currently studying for a third degree in Mathematics with Open University.
During the day, and sometimes out of hours, I work as a Chief Science Officer. You can read all about that on my LinkedIn page.
View all posts by janet

Looks like M347 has some scary student reviews. It’s hard to parse out if it’s just that the material is hard/the exam is hard (fine), or if the teaching material is bad (not so fine). Looks like it’s probably quite rigorous vs M343 and MT365